Not the Ahsoka I wanted, not the Ahsoka I deserved.
Let me preface this and say I have existing bias to prefer the Clone Wars representation of Ahsoka vs the Rebels/Mandalorian representation. In the Clone Wars, she was naïve to the world of the Jedi and to adulthood in general. Acting as a viewer avatar, we grew up with her from the age of 14 to around 18-19. By the time of Rebels she lost her innocence, and by The Mandalorian she lost her faith in the Jedi.
Fast forward to Ahsoka. We find out that the series is not one completely focused on our titular character, but follows up directly on the Grand Admiral Thrawn plotline from Rebels. Uugh. Along the way, we are re-acquainted with characters from that series, in particular Hera and Sabine, and off we go to stop Thrawn. But wait, there’s a new challenger! Baylan Skoll and his apprentice Shin Hati both wield lightsabers and are mercenaries hired on behalf of Thrawn. And… Ezra Brigder is alive? Maybe? Of course he is, they hired an actor to portray him in a hologram, do you think Disney just wastes money?
Everything continues on this linear map, taking us to Thrawn with maybe 1 or 2 surprises? But really this is Disney’s Star Wars. The good guys always win, our characters are always redeemed, and we go back to starting positions so that the next chapter can begin with the characters that we know and love. In addition, the pacing of this show was substandard, resembling a bell curve. The best episodes shouldn’t be IN THE MIDDLE, but more toward the end, part of a climax. Disney’s formula is tiring, and exceptional acting by Rosario Dawson, Ray Stevenson, and the supporting cast can’t elevate the series to the heights it deserves.
All episodes screened day of release on Disney+.
